Category: Tales from a Troski

What do you get when you mix an ambitious technology company, a saturated mobile device market, cutting edge technology, and an eye-watering price tag?

I will tell you.

The Samsung Galaxy Fold.

The device, according to Tracy Kyei, Head of Marketing at Samsung Electronics West Africa (Ghana), has been in the lab since 2011. It has been undergoing tests and developments over the years. However, with the outdooring of the first true foldable smartphone device in Ghana, we learn a few things:

There are possibilities for mobile devices you have not even imagined yet.

Folding screens, as scary as they might seem, are a delight to behold.

Samsung is leading the charge for a new phone category but will need to learn and adapt quickly.

The Past

The Samsung Galaxy Fold was the first mainstream foldable smartphone. A prototype of the device was first seen in November 2018. The initial rollout of the device to reviewers did not go very well as Samsung was forced to recall the handsets. This was because the foldable screen was breaking after just a few days of use.

The Present

The device retails at GHC 12,999.

There is a need to put that fact out there before I go further so you understand the kind of waters we are swimming in. The Samsung Galaxy Fold device is not for everyone.

“We created Galaxy Fold also for those who want to experience what a premium foldable can do, beyond the limitations of a traditional smartphone.” That was how Tracy described it and for good reason as well.

The Galaxy Fold has a 4.6-inch cover display. When unfolded, it has the world’s first 7.3-inch Infinity Flex Display. The device has six cameras in all (yes, six). There is the 10MP selfie camera on the cover; a triple rear camera set made up of a 16MP ultra-wide, a 12 MP wide-angle and a 12 MP telephoto lens; then there is the 10MP selfie camera and the 8MP depth camera when you flip the phone open.

Packed with 12GB of RAM, 512GB of internal memory, the mobile device pushes the boundaries a step further. The phone accepts one Nano SIM card and one eSIM card for the LTE version and only one Nano SIM for the 5G version. The fingerprint sensor is on the side of the phone.

The LTE version of the phone has a battery capacity of 4380mAh from the two batteries inside it while the 5G version packs a 4235mAh battery. With wireless powershare, you can charge other devices with the phone (something we have seen from the Galaxy S10 and the Note 10 range of devices).

Aside from all of this, Samsung Ghana is promising what it terms “premium service” with this device. Firstly, upon purchase, there are a number of goodies that come in the box. You get a pair of Galaxy buds (retailing at GHC 700), a case made of Kevlar material and a disposable screen protector. What you will also notice is a lot of warnings and notices in the box giving you indications on how to use the device, care, and support. Its a GHC 12,999 phone for a good reason.

You get a 24-month warranty on the device from Samsung Ghana.

The Future

Now that the specs and bells and whistles are out there, let us look beyond the numbers.

The price tag is a clear indication of the sort of people who will end up using this device. It is a luxury device, plain and simple. It is not the kind of phone you should be taking to the beach or the swimming pool or to the club for that matter. It is not certified water-resistant or dust resistant either.

There is a learning curve any owner will need to get over with the Galaxy Fold. For example, though most Google services such as maps are optimized for the device, other apps such a Snapchat are not. Also while notification will be swiped from the left section of the open device, navigation keys will be on the right side of it. These new ways of interacting with a device could put someone off but if you spent the money to buy the device, I am sure you will not mind.

What is clear though is it the device is one of a kind. It is a surprisingly delightful piece of tech to hold in one’s hand and play with. It felt solid and durable when I had my chance with it at the launch event and I have to confess that the 7.3-inch Infinity Flex Display was so good. I played Asphalt 9 on it and it was a charm. I can imagine watching a few Netflix hours on it as well to great delight. The device can easily serve as your phone and tablet at the same time, which is what I believe Samsung was gunning for in the first place.

In all, the Samsung Galaxy Fold is a glimpse into the future of mobile telephony and the experiences we could be having. The Fold is a device you should experience to understand and appreciate. The opportunities are countless with the flexible display options but, how functional will these devices actually be and at what cost will it come?

Speaking to citinewsroom.com, Philip noted, “It is humbling to be picked out of the hundreds of incredible journalists across the country. I am however encouraged to go farther in the quest to see a more prosperous and technology savvy citizenry.”

“Technology is changing the world and Ghana must be leading that charge for Africa. I am fully committed to ensuring that the platform given me by Citi FM and Citi TV are used to drive the message of technology inclusion and empowerment.”

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After weeks of leaks and rumours, we finally get to see the next iteration of the Samsung Galaxy Note series; the Galaxy Note 10. Regardless of the rumours, finally getting my hands on the device at the unveiling event in Ghana gave me the answer to a question I asked last year; how was Samsung going to top the Note 9?

The release of this device, in a lot of ways, answers that question.

The Look and Feel

Since 2011, the Galaxy Note range has represented the very best that Samsung has to offer in the world of mobile telephony technology. With Note 10 and the Note 10 Plus extends that notion both on the outside and the inside of the device.

For the first time, ever, there are two Note devices. The Note 10 which retails at GHC 5,299 flaunts a 6.3-inch display while the Note 10 Plus which parades a 6.8-inch screen goes for GHC 6,199. What you get is a truly exquisite and premium feel in your hand. The device feels sturdy and well put together with very little to dislike. The volume controls and the ‘power’ button are on the left side of the phone while the right side is left as clean as a whistle. A few things to note here (pardon the pun); one press of the ‘power’ button puts the screen to sleep or wakes it up, press it twice and the camera turns on and with an extended press, one can activate the Bixby voice assistant. The weird thing here is that by default, the ‘power’ button does not offer options to shut down the phone. There is a button in the notification section which will help you do that. Weird.

There are four colours available on the Note 10plus which are the Aura White, Aura Black, Aura Blue, and Aura Glow. The Aura glow will be extremely popular in Ghana. You see so many colours when the light hits the body of the phone.

You cannot miss the punch-hole camera in front of the device which sits dead centre at the top section of the phone. This houses the 10-megapixel selfie camera. What this means is that the edge effect is extended a little further.

The big surprise (for those who do not follow the rumors): There is no headphone jack on any of the new devices. Samsung says this design decision is to allow bigger batteries and other features. The question remains, however: How come Samsung fun of rivals Apple some years ago about the same thing?

The Battery

The Note 9 I have holds a 4,000mAh battery which easily got me through a day and more. The Note 10plus wields an impressive 4,300mAh which will clearly offer you more hours regardless of the use. The Note 10, disappointingly, holds a 3,500mAh battery. The power management tools in the Note 10, per the announcement at the unveiling event should however come in handy here. One wonder though, why did Samsung not maintain the 4000mAh from theNote 9?

The Camera

There are three main cameras on the back of both devices. These are the 12-megapixel (wide angle), 16-megapixel (ultra-wide angle), 12-megapixel (telephoto). The Note 10Plus however, has an extra 3D depth or AR lens which gives the depth-sensing effect for blurred backgrounds. The AR lens also allows you to use the AR Doodle where you can annotate the things or people you are capturing. In video mode, when the people move, the drawing also moves. Really cool.

The image stabilization in the camera is something you must experience to appreciate. It works really well and will compete favourably with others already in the market. There is a night mode in the camera section. This, in some ways always been there, but it is nice that we finally get to see it out as an officially dedicated mode.

Video editors will be pleased to find out there are now native video editing tools built straight into the device. You can add music and other effects to you video packages right from the device.

A really neat feature in the Note 10 and Note 10 Plus is the zoom mic feature. With this, the sound in the frame where you are zooming into is amplified as you zoom further.

The S Pen

The most iconic feature of the device saw a massive upgrade in the Note 9 and Samsung has thrown in a few extras with the Note 10 and Note 10 Plus. You can now use gesture controls like waving you S pen in the air to interact with your device. One is able to flick up and down or also twirl the pen to access different camera actions and options. You can still use the S pen as a remote for taking pictures or as a clicker during a powerpoint presentation.

Handwritten notes in the Samsung notes app can now be turned into text and exported to many formats including Microsoft Word. You can even convert handwriting to text which can be indexed for easy retrieval.

The Others

The major things of note include

You can now use the USB C provided for charging as a connector to enable Samsung’s DeX feature.

The DeX feature is now accessible on a laptop. To be honest I struggled to work out why I will use DeX on a laptop.

There is a micro SD card expansion slot on Note 10 plus but none on a Note 10.

There is Wireless Powershare in both devices. This where the Note 10 or 10 Plus can charge other devices using the wireless charging technology.

There is a fingerprint sensor built into the screen of the phone.

There is a 5G version of Note 10 Plus.

Final Thoughts

Samsung has listened and made available devices that suit the times and seasons. The devices will compete favourably with the offerings from other device makers. The devices, at first glance and with initial interaction with it, are great.

I will always go with the ultimate device which is the Galaxy Note 10 Plus. It packs all the highest specs from the device maker and has all the bells and whistles in place. Though pricey, it serves my purposes just fine.

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Ghanaian technology entrepreneurs have called on African investors to look within the continent and channel much needed support to the local businesses that are solving the continent’s problems.

According to them, local investors need to see the vision and impact that start ups have and must invest at the early stage.

These revelations were made at the sidelines of the Africa 2018 Summit which took place in in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. The forum saw the launch of the Next 100 Startup initiative by President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi, which aims to select up to 100 promising entrepreneurs based in Africa and connect them with business leaders, international investors, financial institutions, and policymakers.

Ghana’s contingent consisted of 11 companies among which were Kudigo, Nokofio Ghana, Bloom impact, Agro innova LLC and more with facilitation from the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the World Bank Group’s arm in charge of private sector development.

Speaking to Citi Trends, CEO of Kudigo said, “most tech startups die prematurely and it is only with the right collaboration and deliberate effort that the situation can be salvaged. An africa-wide ecosystem approach is key for the growth of the continent where cross country connections will help spur growth. “

Kelvin Ashie of Agro Innova LLC however insisted, ”it is important that there needs to be shared understand of the investor language because though the trajectory we are travelling on is good in ghana with a good outlook for start ups, none of it will mean anything if we do not understand the language the investor is speaking.”

On his part, the CTO of Bloom impact, David Hutchful, held the opinion that there were not enough African investors who could “meet the demand of start ups and the ones that do exist are assessing the risk. What happens is that the investment levels offered do not match with the level of the need of the startups.”

Start-ups in Africa raised just $556 million from investors in 2017 (compared to $7 billion raised in India). The number of incubators and accelerators of start-ups has grown to more than 440 in 2018, compared to 314 two years ago, according to a just-released study by IFC. The study also found that five African cities — Accra, Cairo, Cape Town, Lagos, and Nairobi – attract 84 percent of the funds, even though they account for 22 percent of the continent’s startups. Start-ups in other cities are simply missing out in financing opportunities, according to the report.

David is thus off the option that, “more angel investors and more big ticket investors must be willing to meet the market where it is and where they can give smaller amounts without having to take over the start ups.”

“The summit was important for all parties to understand where their needs were and to understand how to tweak their companies to meet the needs of the investors without losing the core of their startups.”

One other startup at the summit was Wear Ghana and its cofounder, Ewurabena Agyeman, insisted that, “ it is not surprising (that African investors do not invest heavily in African startups) because underlying it is the same reason that African entrepreneurs have been trying to prove themselves for all these years.”

“We need to start believing in Africa and start believing that African entrepreneurs can build great companies. We need to prove that although we exist on a continent where the basic infrastructure that has been built in other economies do not exist, we can do better. We are forced to build the ecosystem that companies need to thrive but we must learn to tell our stories right. We must build the supply chain that other people do not have to spend their time doing.

We continue to celebrate technology entrepreneurs on the show and this week we started the conversations off with re:publica, a conference based in Europe that deals with the Web 2.0, especially blogs, social media and information society.

William Senyo, CEO of Impact Hub Accra and his team have managed to bring the event to Accra for the first time. He was in the studio with Geraldine de Bastion, the programme curator of the event.

Nehemiah Attigah and Thelma Quaye joined me to speak about heir special training programme called Code Factory Africa which offers individuals special skills to prepare them for a digital future.

Ishmael Lamptey build Di Creative Agency to help people create websites simply and with little fuss and he explains it all on the show.